They will not go quietly,
the dogs who've shared our lives.

In subtle ways they let us know
their spirit still survives.

Old habits still make us think
we hear a barking at the door.

Or step back when we drop
a tasty morsel on the floor.

Our feet still go around the place
the food dish used to be.

And, sometimes, coming home at night
we miss them terribly.

It is with the heaviest of hearts that I post these pictures of Timber's last days as I lost her to a quick and painful battle with cancer (adnocarcinoma) on September 2 at midnight.  If I could have had a blue print custom designed for the perfect dog, Timber would surely have been the product of that design!  She was my once in a lifetime, and the circumstances of her loss will haunt me for as long as I can begin to imagine.

Over 50% of pets in the United States will die of cancer in the next decade.  It is the leading cause of natural death in dogs today.  No matter how great the care you extend to your pets, is important to educate yourself on the causes of this threatening disease, and what your honest options are if you are unfortunate to have it touch your life.




If you have a pet with Cancer, please take a moment to visit my new site, The Canine Cancer Project.  I am attempting to collect the personal experiences of other people who have lost (or won!) the cancer battle with their pets through a survey. I hope with the information collected to be able to share some real world statistics that will help others with their decision whether or not to choose specific protocols and be more realistic about the chances with various forms of cancer so their pets might enjoy a more restful final period in their vs. the stress and uncomfortable uncertainty of some of the options that oncologists are pushing on us to no true avail.  I hope the information gathered from these surveys will shed some light on the success (or otherwise) of chemotherapy and amputation.  Then we can all make future decisions based on shared experiences and not the recommendations of oncologists who are at least ignoring the many exciting possibilities of so many natural cures that are making themselves known today.

ARTEMISININ - A Cure?
New research being done at the University of Washington is showing promise for treating some specific cancers with an herbal extract that has been used for malaria, called Artemisinin. It has low toxicity when given in proper doses orally, and has shown some effectiveness with osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and lymphosarcoma in dogs when used at a dosage of 50-100 mg twice a day for a large breed. It is also being used to treat breast cancer in humans. It is apparently more effective when given along with iron salts. See the following for more information, several of which mention studies done with dogs:
Pumping Iron: Increasing Muscle Mass or Curing Cancer?
Chinese remedy 'may fight cancer'
Cancer Smart Bomb, Part I: An Idea from Ancient Chinese Medicine
Cancer Smart Bomb: Part II: Artemisinin Follow-Up
New Hope for Treating Cancer
Artemisinin Study Abstracts
Artemisinin in Cancer Treatment